Fluid operated well pumps



. 2, 1958 H. F. BELDING FLUID OPERATED WELL PUMPS Filed July 29, 1957INVENTOR. HOWARD F. BELDING FIG. 2

United States Patent FLUID OPERATED WELL PUMPS Howard F. Belding,Camarlilo, Calif. Application July 29, 1957, Serial No. 674,897

3 Claims. (Cl. 103-46) This invention relates to fluid operated pumpsand, more particularly to reciprocating piston, double acting motoroperated pumps.

The object of the invention is to provide a pump which is operated by apneumatic or hydraulic motor with valve means for controlling deliveryof operating fluid to the motor.

While the pump is designed primarily for use in deep wells, it is notlimited to such use as it may be used equally well in shallow wells orin cisterns.

When used in deep wells, a series of pumping units may be provided inorder to avoid the necessity of using operating fluid of an excessivelyhigh pressure.

The operating fluid may be supplied by conventional pressure generatingpumps or from any suitable source of fluid under pressure.

In carrying out the objects of the invention a pumping piston, in thiscase a valved piston is used, but a solid piston could be used equallywell. A reciprocating fluid motor is connected directly to the pumpingpiston and an automatically operated valve is provided to control motorfluid to the motor. The pumping pistonis provided with suitable meansfor preventing the entry of grit or sand past the piston.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the descriptionwhich follows and from the illustrations in the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section showing the motor and p p;

Figure 2 is a view showing a series of motor and pump units connectedtogether for use in a deep well,

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged detail views of the valve which controlsoperating fluid to'and from the motors.

Referring now to the details as shown in Figures 1 and 2, numeralindicates a well casing having supported therein by any suitable meansone or more pump-motor units 11. When a plurality of pump units is usedin a deep well pumping system, the units are connected to gether bymeans of delivery tubing 33 and motive fluid conduit 34 as shown inFigure 2. Threaded connections 25 and 26 are shown at the upper andlower extremities of the pumping unit for receiving the ends of thetubing 33. As shown in Figure 1, threaded connections 27 are providedfor connecting motive fluid conduits 34 with a suitable source of fluidunder pressure.

A cylindrical stationary tube 12 extends down into the upper end of thepump unit and is connected to the cylindrical housing 35 and is coaxialtherewith. The interiorof this tube serves as a delivery passageway 36which ex tends thru the fluid motor. Between tube 12 and the casing 35is a cylindrical reciprocating element mounted in the cylinder definedby the interior of the casing 35. Attached to the lower end of theelement 15 is the pumping piston 16. A dividing plate 13 is attached tothe lower end of the tube 12. Piston 16, the interior wall of thereciprocating element 15 and the dividing plate 13 form the pumpingchamber 37. The piston 16 is providod with an inlet valve, here shown asa ball valve 23,

2,862,448 Patented Dec. 2, 1958 but any suitable valve could be used.The plate 13 is provided with an outlet valve 24 thru which fluid passesto the outlet passage 36.

A dividing plate 14 is rigidly attached to the stationary tube 12intermediate its ends and plates 17 and 18 are attached to reciprocatingelement 15, one above and one below the plate 14. The plates 13, 14, 17and 18 determine chambers 19, 20, 21 and 22. Chambers 19 and 20 areexpansion motor chambers in which motor fluid moves the'piston 16upwardly to provide a pumping stroke for r the pump. Chambers 21 and 22are motor chambers 0' exhaust it from the motors.

which move the piston on its suction stroke.

Motor fluid for operating the motors is controlled by a valve 30 mountedin the dividing plate 13. Motor fluid is supplied thru a pipe 28connected to the inlet 27. Exhaust from the motors passes out thru apipe 29 and may exhaust into the pumped water thru any suitable passage,not shown. Any suitable valve may be incorporated in the valve unit 30so as to admit fluid to the motors and One suitable form of such valvewill now be described. I

Details of the valve unit 30 are shown'in Figures 3, 4 and on anenlarged scale. This valve unit consists of a casing 2 having radialopenings here shown as connected to pipes G, H, I, S and T. A radiallyported piston W reciprocates in the casing Z to connect the inlet andoutlet passages as will appear. The pipes are shown schematically so asto make the operation more apparent. The opening G is connected to thesource of motor fluid 28. The opening I is connected to port 40 into themotor chamber 20. The port T is connected to the motor inlet port 39 tothe motor chamber 19. A cross port A thru the valve piston W connects Iand T so that motor fluid is supplied simultaneously to motor chambers19 and 20 asv shown in Fig. 3. The port or outlet line H is connected toexhaust line 29. The passage S connects with ports 41 and 42 forsupplying motor fluid to motor chambers 21 and 22 for moving the pumpingpiston on the suction stroke. A cross passage X connects S with thepressure line G when the valve W is in the lowermost position as shownin Figure 4. At this time the passages I and T are connected thru across passage V with the exhaust line H, as shown in Figure 4. As thepumping chamber 37 fills with liquid being pumped, air above the liquidescapes past the float 38 into the exhaust line 29. When the piston 16reaches the limit of its stroke it engages the rod 31 and moves thevalve piston W by means of arm 47 to the position shown in Figure 4 toconnect pressure line G with passage S to deliver pressure to motorchambers 21 and 22 and connects I and T with exhaust line H thru passageV as shown in Figure 4.

The operation of the pump and motor is as follows: When the parts are inthe position shown in Figure 3 passages I and T are connected with thepressure line G and motive fluid is delivered to motor chambers 19 and20 to move piston 16 up and force fluid thru the outlet valve 24 intothe discharge line 36. When the pumping piston reaches the limit ofitsupper stroke it engages rod 31 lifting the valve piston W. This reversesthe flow of motor fluid, connecting the line G with the line S,delivering pressure fluid to chambers 21 and 22 to move the piston downand connects the line I and T with the exhaust line H thru cross passageV in the valve piston W. As the piston moves down the float 38 dropsfrom its seat, allowing the pumping chamber to fill again with fluid. Asthe piston 16 moves down it creates a suction which causes the float 38to unseat so that fluid from the well may freely enter the pump chamberthru the inlet valve 23. The cycle of operation will be continuous andautomatic.

In many oil wells there is often a natural gas pressure in the holevarying sometimes from 200 to 900 p. s. i.

pressure fluid may be used as the motive fluid.

Therefore, when pumping oil it is frequently possible to use thisnatural gas pressure as the pressure gas for the pumping operation. Allthat is necessary to use this gas pressure as operating fluid is toconnect the pressure and pump unit, sealing rings 44 are inserted ingrooves iu the dividing plates 13 and 14 and in the pistons 17 and 18.

In the motor pump system-above described, one, two or any number of setsof compression and exhaust motor chambers may be used. Either hydraulicor pneumatic In the use'of hydraulic fluid an additional line may benecessary to carry the hydraulic fluid to the top of the well. Whenpneumatic fluid is used this can be discharged into the pumped fluid,where it will assist the pumping by aerating the liquid being pumped.

As indicated, to reduce the pressure required for lifting fluid fromgreat depths, multiple pumping and motor units may be used as shown inFigure 2, thus creating a multiple stage unit.

When the pump unit is placed at the bottom of the well, the coupling 45may be replaced by a conventional gas trap or anchor.

Also several wells, regardless of the elevation of the top of the holescan be pumped from a single compressor or hydraulic pump unit andseveral pumping units may be installed in a line to increase the depthof pumping at low pressure or without requiring increasing motive fluidfor greater depths.

Pump sanding and paraflin clogging are eliminated due to the fact thatthe pump has no small passageways thru which the liquid and anysuspended matter therein must pass. All material that starts thru thepumps must follow almost a straight line until discharged.

While the foregoing disclosure describes a presently preferredembodiment of the invention, it is understood that the invention may bepracticed in other forms within the scope of the invention. Theinvention, therefore, is to be understood as limited only so far as iscalled for in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A motor-pump combination comprising a housing having a cylindricalchamber therein, a stationary tube attached at one end to the upper endof the housing and extending concentrically of the housing, a dividingplate secured to the lower end of the tube, a second dividing platesecured to the tube and spaced from the first-named dividing plate, saidfirst-named dividing plate having an outlet valve for pumped 'fluid anda valve for controlling motor operating fluid, a sleeve slidably mountedwithin the housing, the interior of the sleeve slidably engaging theperipheries of the dividing plates, said sleeve having a plate thereinand secured thereto which plate slidably engages the wall of the saidtube and provides a motor piston positioned between the dividing plates,the sleeve having a plate closing its lower end and serving as pumpingpiston, a check valve in the last-named plate and means on the valvewhich convalve closing said vent when the pump chamber is filled withliquid.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein a series of motor andpump units are connected in tandem to operate in a deep well.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,414,990 McFarland May 2, 1922 1,565,886 Aikman Dec. 15, 1925 1,775,759Grant, Sept. 16, 1930 2,022,781 Pigott Dec. 3, 1935 2,491,587 Seago Dec.30, 1949 2,780,171 Heddy Feb. 5, 1957 2,837,029 Mohnkern June 3, 1958

